NCIS: Los Angeles Forums

I know I will get a lot of dislike for this, but please take your time to finish reading first, like I took mine to put out my thoughts here.

Let's face it. LL Cool J is chosen because he is famous, not because he is a standout actor or the writers actually have plans for him. Tell me at least three other adjectives that you can describe him besides "big", "black", or "brave". Those adjectives are pretty much what Sam is, which is not good at all, because that makes him a mere stock action sidekick hero to G. Compare him to Tony in the original. He is a capable gunfighter, epic prankster, funny womanizer, and, most of all, unbeatable annoyer. Only Tony can be annoying enough that the head of Mossad unwittingly leaks his own plan--while Eli was the one who interrogates him! What can Sam do? Fight? Well, so can G, Kensi, and Deeks, yes?

And Daniela Ruah's character. Kensi. She has no depth. Just like Sam, she is the token action girl every show needs to have nowadays. Why we love Ziva David? Because she is ex-Mossad assassin. Because she continuously mangles American idioms. Because she drives like crazy that even his father is scared. Because she dares to face the invincible Gibbs, match Tony's funny but witty charm, befriend the much-hazed McGee, and win Abby's trust. What is it in Kensi that besides kicking people's butt we still want to watch her? Her relationship with Deeks? Well, you see, their lines after Deeks saves him in Absolution: K: I need to pee. D: You already did. What! That is classless.

And Eric. All he's doing is being a tech geek. Not that it's bad, but compare him to Abby. That hyperactive Gothic girl follows absolutely no dress codes whatsoever, is addicted to caffeine drinks which would have killed her heart right now, and ignores all common etiquettes like blasting her music and hugging people around. But she's still in! Why? Because she's so good at what she's doing and we viewers love her for her freakiness! Besides wearing hawaii shirt, putting his feet on the table, and throwing failed dry humor, Eric is nobody to miss. Much less that new character, Nell Jones, ohh...we don't need more characters, we need less!

The argument rests.

My point Sir, is this: Sam, Kensi, and Eric are stock characters: they are tokens, cliche characters that have been done to death. For example: Sam. A military veteran who works in a law enforcement agency. That is cliche. But a womanizing movie buff whose arsenal of pranks never exhausts and hazing to a new member is borderline sadistic works as an excellent federal agent, that stands out.

A good example of standing out character in NCIS: LA is Hetty. A midget (excuse my anti-PC) woman runs an undercover operation! Has enough political capital to move out an airshow to save her team ("Ambush")! Her past triggers all-out intelligence war in LA ("Deliverance and Absolution")! Now, that is one hell of a character.

I make comparison so we know why NCIS has growing rates every reason while NCIS: LA does not. Again, I'm looking to see Sam more than the usual "big black brave" guy, Kensi more than the action girl, and Eric more than a tech geek.

Finally, somebody with a clue!

Don't mind Lynna, she's a bit blind regarding cast performances...

Dude, 24 kill EVERYONE AND ANYONE except Jack and Kim. Why it survives for 8 season? Because it never falls cliche (save for the suckish Day 6). Why it never falls cliche? Because the show makes it clear that Anyone Can Die, and if that happens, the surviving characters suck it up and move on.

If the NCIS:LA writers could not make that happen despite being in the same genre (undercover ops, drama action suspense, spy flick), then that's all there is in this show.

And to those of you who argue that NCIS:LA relies much more on its setting rather than its character, try to imagine CSI:Miami without Horatio Caine. No matter how awesome the location is, without strong casts to live it up, it falls flat. If you look it up, Northern Exposure (1990-95) is set in godknowswhereland in Alaska yet it got 3 Emmy and 2 Golden Globe.

Nah, as long as this show fills itself with tokens, it wouldn't last.

Nah, there are ensemble casts, and then there are tokens. There are characters like Chloe O'Brien, Tony Almeida, Renee Walker, Charles Logan, David Palmer, Aaron Pierce, Ethan Kanin,......and then there are Sam, Kensi, and Eric.

and you've mistaken that CSI: Miami part. It is exactly because there are Horatio Caine and his oneliner opening-put shades-oneliner closing-YEEEAHH people watch CSI: Miami all the time, no matter how ridiculous the science or the law is. NCIS:LA doesn't have something like that. If the plotlines suck and the case is dull, end of story, no matter how many people Sam tackles, how many underestimating men Kensi beats, how many computer Eric bypasses, you stop watching it.

wow did someone just compare this show to '24' seriously that show was terrible.

i agree with Lynna, if you're killing off half the cast, what else is there to do?

Your just going to have a bunch of sad team members with issues because half their co-workers just DIED!

maybe they just havnt shown you the depth of Kensi yet. Eric isnt supposed to be a gothic girl that sleeps in a coffin. Sam, LL Cool J is a fine actor, he makes you laugh and makes you feel other emotion too.

would you really liked to be killed off if you were ever in a show just because you didnt have depth or wasnt goth or because you just plainly couldnt act?

the answer is No

When I look up at the show's genre and theme in TV.com, I find them say "action/suspense" and "spy". If you smile more than you tense, then the writers didn't do it right.And I never said Eric has to be a goth; I said Eric is a token tech geek. You said he's more a surfer type guy, well, have we ever seen him surf?

And I'm making comparison because it's a shame a show with such a potential screws itself with cliche tokens. Really, if there is no NCIS title, this show wouldn't even last half first season.

Okay, seriously?

You are absolutely right. It is the middle of the SECOND season. That means theyhaven't had alot of time to develop certain characters. They are only starting toreally develop Kensi in the last few episodes, Sam has gotten mere mention personal-life wise, and Eric, well knowing Shane Brennan we probably won't know more about him for a long, long time. I mean look at Abby. Sure she's cute and quirky but we don't know much about her at all, and it's been EIGHT seasons.They will get there, but I wouldn't hold your breath, seeing as who pulls the strings. We're in for a long haul, just ask the Tiva fans.

i'm not trying to get involved in this, but if you don't like the show or its characters, don't watch it.